Millions of rands are spent annually in the development of new stores, yet the majority of decisions regarding the location of these stores are based on a combination of intuition, some experience and a few rudimentary calculations. However, as the retail industry becomes increasingly more competitive, the importance of an adequate location cannot be over emphasised. The first section of this research report deals with the development of a framework for a store location strategy which discusses the fundamental components involved. The second section comprises a survey of five major chain stores investigating the adequacy of their store location strategies and the advantages derived from their implementation. Finally, the strategies were evaluated and recommendations made for improving and developing them, with respect to South African conditions and the framework suggested in the report.